A Recipe for Disaster, And Other Assorted Tales
by CyclonePsycho
Summary: Pranks, families, towels, and every disaster in between -- Aang and Katara has been through it all. And every memory is as precious as life itself. So pull up a chair and listen closely because it's Kataang Week once again.
1. Mischief: A Recipe for Disaster

**A/N: So this is Kataang Week… 9001… I promised myself that I would at least participate in one but this one hit me by surprise. So excuse the lateness, and enjoy. (Seriously though, this must be what, the third one this year? Oh well, I'm definitely not complaining. *grin*)**

**Disclaimer – I do not own **_**Avatar: The Last Airbender.**_

* * *

**Prompt One (August 19, 2009): Mischief**

**A Recipe for Disaster**

The three lined themselves along the roof of the Jasmine Dragon (Suki, of course, was just there to watch). He neatly arranged the small sacks filled with some of Uncle Iroh's jook, from last night's supper, within the grooves to the wooden shingles in an attempt to keep them from falling.

Sokka then shared a dangerous smirk and a shoulder bump (for Toph's benefit) with his partners in crime and waited impatiently.

Only five minutes passed before Katara, of all people, _Katara_ wandered by on her way inside.

Toph knew by Sokka's sudden jolt and excited shoulder-bumping exactly who was walking by. Suki had also spotted the poor girl, and expressed a glance of pure panic, not wanting to face the Legendary Temper of Katara.

Sokka gave her a half lidded smile of reassurance and Suki kept quiet, convincing herself that Sokka's little sister can take an innocent joke, chewing viciously on her lip the whole while. She screwed her eyes shut as he silently picked up a sack.

As soon as Katara was within range, Sokka readied his weapon and let it fly. Toph clenched her fists in anticipation for the Water Tribe girl's inevitable scream.

She was sorely disappointed.

Suki, assuming the boy to her right missed given the silence below them, slid towards the edge (she must have unconsciously slid away) and curiously peeked at the ground. There, covered in the thick and soupy substance, stood Katara. She was glaring with her mouth open in surprise. Suki let out a sudden 'meep' and wildly stared back and worth between Sokka and Katara, hoping for to something distract the fourteen-year-old from the rage that was quite surely coming.

Nothing came and Katara began to tremble in anger. "I can't believe, Suki, we're, you guys are…" she started, tripping over her words. "Just ugh!!" And with that, she rounded the corner stormed inside. Seconds later, a slam from a door rang throughout the shop.

After a few silent minutes, Toph began to chuckle. And those chuckles turned into stifled laughs. The laughter became infectious as Sokka held his mouth close to keep a few sniggers from floating out. While the two were busy laughing, Suki groaned. How in the world had Sokka convinced her to go along with his scheme, anyway? She remembered being completely against dousing random strangers with Iroh's _famous_ rice porridge ("The stuff would be great foundation for my house!"). She also remembered that Sokka called her uptight and challenged her to loosen up a little.

Suki certainly loosened herself up – right into a sticky situation. She knew this would not be the end of their troubles.

Inside, Aang happened to be meditating in the back hallway when Katara suddenly stomped past and into the washroom, slamming the door and rattling its wooden frame. He cautiously peered outside the kitchen and into the main room, wondering what was going on. Iroh and the customers curiously gazed back at him, hoping for the same answer, all of the normal afternoon murmurs completely silenced. He sighed and made his way back through the large kitchen, through the narrow doorway, and stared at the washroom door. He was not ready to face whatever was going on.

For a brief moment before he knocked on the door, he wished he had been sleeping instead. Abruptly, Katara flung the door open, nearly smacking Aang in the face. Not even turning the face him, she muttered a terse apology and continued scrubbing jook out of her hair.

"Uh, something wrong?"

"Everything is just fine," she punctuated with sharp sarcasm. The jook had crusted over, which worsened her mood.

"What happened?" Aang sighed. He moved in closer to her.

Katara gave a sigh of her own and allowed Aang to accompany her in the small bathroom. He picked up the cloth Katara had long abandoned and began cleansing her long dark brown curls and green robe. The pink flower nestled in her hair, he mused, was long ruined. He should find another for her.

"Sokka, Toph, and, ugh, Suki happened!" she exploded. She stopped picking at the remnants on her face and glowered at her reflection in the small mirror. Aang dutifully stayed silent as he pumped more water into the basket and heated it slightly with his hand. He continued the wash her hair and waited for her to finish. "They were throwing balloons full of this," she gestured at the mess, "at people and decided to aim at me! What are they, five?"

At that, he began to snicker. "This isn't funny!" she thundered, tearing herself away from him.

"Yes it is," he informed her calmly, smiling. She met his response with a narrowed scowl. "Want to know why?" Katara folded her arms across her chest expectantly. "Because that means we can get them back," he explained triumphantly. Normally, he was against revenge, but _prank wars_ were a different story. The Southern Air Temple was especially known for their pranks, and he would gladly share his knowledge with his jook-covered girlfriend. But they would need to plan this carefully before Toph with her skills at detecting lies caught on.

For the first time since this whole ugly incident, Katara smirked. "I'm listening…"

And then Aang told her the plot.

--

Later that night, Iroh inquired about his full pot of jook he had set out that morning, which was now mysteriously half empty. Toph feigned an innocent demeanor and complimented him on his wonderful cooking expertise. She told him how she had gotten hungry and couldn't stop eating. Since Katara had stormed through the Jasmine Dragon so quickly that Iroh had never really observed what was all over her, the little white lie was accepted with tremendous gratitude. Katara, from her seat across the room, narrowed her eyes at Toph gave a small 'humph' in reply.

Toph smiled simply and continued chewing on her dumplings.

They were all sitting in the old general's dining room in his apartment across the street from his shop. The apartment was beautiful, with exquisite little knick-knacks he had collected from different markets in Ba Sing Se. Dinner was always a pleasant affair where Team Avatar gathered around a familiar table and ate in relative peace. Other than Katara obviously ignoring Sokka, Toph, and Suki, and Aang darting worried glances between the four, the atmosphere was relaxed and almost soothing.

After everyone retired to bed, Suki crept into Katara's room. She had been feeling guilty the entire day, and she desperately wanted to apologize.

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry."

"Go away." Instead of choosing to be defeated, Suki stayed in the bedroom. Katara repeated her previous sentiment at a much louder tone.

"I never wanted to dump that on you, and I should have stopped Sokka. I _am_ sorry, Katara, and I just wanted to let you know that." Tiredly, Suki began to turn for her own room, having said her piece.

"I expected better from you," the younger girl sighed.

"I expected better from myself," Suki mumbled guiltily. Suki was indeed very ashamed of her actions. Had she let herself become too lax after the war? Pranking was _never_ her thing!

Katara shook her head. "I guess I could forgive you this one time. And it was pretty funny… Just don't ever do it again, okay?" Suki caught her in a quick embrace from behind.

"I don't plan to." And they parted ways for the night.

--

The next week came and went smoothly, and Sokka was sure Katara had forgotten about the little episode. One might have noticed that something was up when Aang asked Iroh for more jook, but no one paid any attention whatsoever. The new peace, the peace that had only recently ascended upon them, gave the kids a new tranquility inside themselves, and they wished it would never leave.

However, all good things must come to an end.

Aang suddenly landed in front of the bustling teashop and raced in to find the devilish trio. At the moment they were drinking tea quietly when Aang raced in, glider still open. "Guys, come quick, we are being attacked by Dai Li agents! Zuko's still down at Lake Loagai!" Without another question, the four ran off.

The Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se was quite a distance from Lake Loagai, but Aang, Sokka, Suki, and Toph hardly noticed as they winded themselves through the busy street, pushing random civilians out of the way, and sweating from the hot autumn sun. They could barely breathe out of panic and worry for the friend. Soon, they had reached the site, but surprisingly, there was nothing around. The lake looked eerily calm. Evidence of all battle had been erased and their panic tripled with no sight of Zuko or the Dai Li.

"Wait!" Toph suddenly shouted as she pointed wildly towards a mass of rocks across the lake. "There's someone over there!" They all rushed right over, ready to strike or help, depending on what the situation would be when they reached the person. As they closed in, the dot of black morphed into a crouching person. His head was not visible from their vantage point, and nothing but the man's black cloak could be seen.

"Who ar—"

"Surprise!" shouted Katara who had suddenly stood up and splashed a huge pot of jook (hidden by her huge cloak, the discovered later) all over the startled teens. Some, to her never ending delight, spilled into Sokka's mouth, which had been hanging open from his interrupted question. She dropped the pot on the ground and placed her hands on her hips. Katara smirked.

Toph, recovering first, was definitely not pleased. And she made it very clear.

"It was payback from your previous prank," Aang answered her rants smoothly. He had hung back from the group to avoid the splash of porridge. After Toph's outburst, he calmly walked around the three and wrapped an arm around Katara's waist. He gave her quick peck on the cheek for all her hard work in the plan. She embraced him, her smirking eyes never leaving the others.

"So wait, Zuko, the Dai Li, all of it, was fake?" Sokka questioned after quickly spitting out the jook. That was one of the few tastes he wanted to linger in his mouth. And he was still very much shell shocked.

"Yep."

"You two disgust me," Toph informed them. She shook some of the food off her arm in an effort to at least take _something_ away from Aang and Katara's victory. They simply avoided her efforts.

"I can't believe this." Suki hadn't spoken this whole time. She exhaled. This was what she deserved, after all.

"We'll see you guys at home," waved Katara as she and Aang turned and walked toward Appa. Wait, where did Appa come from? Was he there the entire time?

Sokka did a double take. "Wait, you aren't going to at least give us a lift back home?" he inquired incredulously. He was having trouble taking it all in.

"Are you kidding? Jook would be a nightmare to clean out of Appa's fur!" Aang replied. Hand in hand, the two climbed on Appa and took off with Aang's signature 'yip, yip.'

They glanced at each other and around praying that some other flying bison would drop from the sky. The rocky shore provided nothing for them. Maybe jumping in the lake would help wash some of the gunk off. Nope, it had crusted over and would be impossible to clean off. Soaked and upset, Sokka, Suki, and Toph set off from Lake Laogai.

Jook, water, and sweat certainly did not mix.

_Lesson learned: Food wasn't just for eating._

**A/N: Don't you just love Sokka's shenanigans? Anyway, tell me how to improve. I haven't practiced writing in forever. =\ Thanks!**


	2. Skin: Throwing in the Towel

**Prompt Two (August 20, 2009): Skin**

**Throwing in the Towel**

The rebels could not have attacked at a worse possible time. _Ugh, didn't they have lives or families to attend to at this hour? _Aang thought. He was helping the villagers fend off his attackers. After the war, the village had grown into a bustling small city, and they could take care of the assassins very well themselves, but he had insisted on aiding them. From the beginning, the innkeeper had urged Aang and Katara to gather their things and leave as soon as possible. The negotiations were completed anyway.

Earlier, Aang was settling down for bed while Katara was busy washing up. It had been a long and exhausting day of treaties that Fire Lord Zuko had asked them to handle. He would have fixed the issues himself, but he needed to attend to an uprising in the Blaze Island Chain. So that left Aang, being the Avatar, and Katara, being a Southern Water Tribe diplomat, to act on his behalf. That day, proposals had been sent to the appropriate locations, and the couple was planning on relaxing an extra day before heading back to the capital. If need be, Zuko would come down later and speak with the village leaders himself.

A small insomniac girl first spotted four rebels climbing up a sidewall of the inn. She let out a terrified scream, sleep forgotten instantaneously. The girl's parents then alerted everyone else they could find and managed to dislodge the men and women from the wall. With that, a huge fight ensued.

Instead of fighting, Katara was busy packing inside. She wanted to fight, but she knew it would be better to go. So she ran into her room first, haphazardly threw her luggage together and carried the bag into Aang's room. Once there, she thanked the spirits for Aang's habit to never unpack, grabbed his bag and staff, and darted down the hallway, stairs, and out the back door.

The brawl was becoming taxing on everyone, and the gang wouldn't stop until they had captured and murdered the cause of the Fire Nation's fall from grace. One particularly ambitious man tried to catch Aang off guard, and was now fighting him with all his strength.

Aang was having trouble restraining the man. Their desperation collided in a fierce battle, which one was certain that it would be to the death. Matching the man blow for blow, he felt vibrations in the earth the way Toph had taught him to make sure no one else was planning on assaulting him. At least his bare feet gave him an advantage, and he was able to concentrate more on the fight at hand.

Suddenly, a woman with the biggest chip on her shoulder Aang had ever seen began to relentlessly firebend enormous blasts of fire at her enemy's back. Aang immediately spaced himself away from the two and continued to fend off their misplaced aggression. Things were quickly becoming dangerous, between the fire and sharp weapons aimed at him.

A stray fireball nearly grazed Aang's bare shoulder. They needed to go _now_.

As if Katara had been reading his thoughts, she and Appa appeared out of the sky. Aang propelled himself up to his bison and latched onto Katara's outstretched hand. With shouts of thank-you's and apologies, they flew off.

"Are you okay?" Katara asked in crippling worry, glancing for any burns or injuries on Aang's body. Finding none and satisfied with Aang's nonverbal confirmation, she relaxed against Appa's soft fur.

"Don't they have other things to do?" Aang asked irritably, voicing his earlier thoughts. The Avatar couldn't stand being interrupted at night when sleep was such a rare commodity. He slid closer to the seventeen-year-old next to himself to keep from tumbling off Appa's head.

Katara sighed in agreement, but Aang could barely notice. Instead, he was noticing all too well the fact that she was wearing a very short towel. Heat rushed to his face and his lungs stopped working properly. When he had scooted toward her, bare skin made contact with bare skin, sending his hormones spiraling way out of control. "Uh, uh, why didn't you get dressed?" he stammered in an attempt to keep his cool. In all honesty, he was anything but cool. He was becoming way too warm.

"Why didn't you?" she volleyed back. She couldn't help but notice his lack of shirt, also. After a few awkward minutes of trying to look at anything but the other, Katara climbed into the saddle, muttering about how she should really be getting dressed and admonishing him not to watch her. He uttered a vague reply and kept a weary eye on to make sure she didn't fall into the unforgiving air. He saw more leg than he had ever meant to. A blush found its way to his face again.

He turned away as soon as she was safely in the saddle and attempted not to think about all the things couples do together in private. He pushed away the images of him seizing her towel and having his way with her.

Aang failed in his attempts.

He didn't know _why_ he was reacting this way – he had seen her plenty of times in her undergarments and never thought anything of it. Towels just felt so… temporary… and they just begged to be snatched off. He swallowed and ended his line of thinking.

"How're you doing up there?" Aang stammered again. Maybe making conversation would distract him from thinking about this infinitely embarrassing situation.

"Uh, good." Katara didn't quite know what to say. This was brand new territory for her. Of course she had thought about Aang _different_ ways, but she was almost completely nude! "Those rebels just won't ever stop, huh?" she ventured shakily. He instinctively looked back at, and found a smooth expanse of back in his line of sight. _She must have not donned her breast wrappings yet,_ he thought guiltily. He snapped his head back and tried to maintain a calm voice.

"I'm glad that Fire Nation town has grown big enough to be able to take care of the group. Being almost burned alive isn't exactly how I'd like to spend the day," he joked.

As they chatted aimlessly, things started returning back to normal between them, thankfully. Aang was even able to return his heart back to a somewhat normal rate. The awkwardness evaporated from the air temporarily as Appa flew to the Palace City.

Little did Aang know that he would have trouble sleeping that next night.

And little did they both know that Sokka would sit them down for a _talk _a month later, almost eerily aware of what had occurred.

Being a teenager was complicated.

_Lesson learned: Ordinary washroom items have much bigger psychological effect on people than you would think. Especially towels._

**A/N: Prompt numbah two! I'm so excited that I actually got this in before the day was over. Blah, not proud of this one. So, yeah, as always, give me tips on improving. Thanks for reading, and special thanks to those who have reviewed. See you all tomorrow!**


	3. Reunited: Home Again

**Prompt Three (August 21, 2009): Reunited**

**Home Again**

"Gran Gran!" Katara shouted as soon as she caught sight of her grandmother. She sprinted down the ramp from the small Fire Nation ship (curtsey of the new Fire Lord) and erased the distance between her and Kana, disregarding the pure white snow she hadn't seen in months. Seconds later, she slammed into her elder and enveloped the woman in a bear hug. "I can't believe it's been almost a year!" she laughed.

"I'm proud of you," murmured Kana against the girl's shoulder. It was all she could say. She herself couldn't believe it. Her own grandchildren had saved the world! It was a lot to take in for an aging woman.

"Katara, move. It's my turn!" Suddenly Katara was yanked out of Kana's arms and shoved aside. "Hey Gran! I'm missed ya!" Sokka exclaimed, ignoring Katara's angry shouts. Kana backed away from her grandson after a few minutes to gape at them both. Sokka's voice was much deeper than she remembered, and where did Katara get that new hairstyle?

"My, you have two changed so much! And I see you did a great job protecting your sister," she marveled. Kana patted Sokka's hair affectionately. "Wait, how did you hurt yourself this time?" she questioned, glaring at his bandaged leg and crutches.

"Oh, you know, just a little this and that," Sokka shrugged and leaned against his crutches. His eyes gleamed, so she rightfully assumed he had an exciting story to tell for later. Kana smiled.

Normally, the three would have been busy talking about the past year and everything that had occurred, but being there, in each other's presence, was enough for now. They hugged again.

Panting, Hakoda met up with them. "Son, how did you run so fast?" The fresh snow crunched underfoot as the other Water Tribe men departed to go piece together their families. Hopeful happiness filled the tribe for the first time since the raids began.

"A lot of changes since I last left?" Hakoda looked around the tribe. More homes and a stronger wall were being erected everywhere by craftsmen and waterbenders. Last time he had been home, their clan was merely a circle tents. Now, it was this big busy center. The change almost rendered him completely speechless. He turned back to the port at which the ship was docked. Hakoda couldn't even remember ever _having_ a port.

"That is a tale best left for later. Now, do I get any love from my long lost son or not?" Kana asked dryly. Grinning, Hakoda reached over to embrace his mother. He then noticed a new betrothal necklace around his mother's neck. As soon as he began to examine this new development, Kana interrupted him, observing the increase in snow. "Come now, before you world travelers freeze to death."

That night was spent inside a newly constructed igloo telling tales and reminiscing about their journeys. The teens had explained that the rest of the team was off visiting families and that Zuko and Aang were taking care of treaties in the Fire Nation. Kana had also told them about the arrival of the Northern Water Tribe, Pakku's proposal, and their new engagement, with protests from her son, of course. While they were chatting, the cheery fire felt like ice compared to the warmth of a newly reunited family. Laughter melted away the strong hurt of separation. This was home. Nothing could ever change that. Yet, something inside Katara felt strange. Almost melancholy.

And when Kana noted this, the younger girl had a strange answer.

"This just doesn't really feel like home anymore," she hesitated, hoping to not have upset anyone. "I mean, I love you guys, but I feel like I don't belong."

"Isn't your place here?" Hakoda inquired with a frown. He didn't appreciate the idea of not seeing his daughter much, especially since the war just had been ended. He wanted to make up for lost time, and actually be there for her. Kana, on the other hand, perfectly understood what was going on. She knew her granddaughter's world had been turned upside down when she found the boy in the iceberg, and she had learned about the budding romance between them from Pakku. She also knew that once Katara received a small taste of the world, she would become addicted. Katara had always been a nomad at heart, ever since she had been small, thirsting for more bedtime stories. And she knew exactly who brought it out of her. Katara just needed to admit it to herself. She is one of the most stubborn people Kana knew, after all. The elderly woman shook her head of these musings, and anticipated the response.

"Maybe," Katara started, with a pinch of sadness. "But I really feel like I'm missing much more of my life, like I wasn't meant to ever truly stay here," she stumbled over her words in an effort to clarify how she felt. During this past year, she stopped really thinking about the South Pole. Of course she thought about her grandmother all the time, but the South Pole began to feel a distant memory, a testament to how far she had come, instead of a home. So what was her home? Katara didn't know the answer. The only thing she was certain of was that she wanted to travel the world again.

"You belong with the Avatar," Kana answered for her. Ignoring Katara and Hakoda's surprised glances, and Sokka's snorts, she plowed on. "I know it, he knows it, and you, my little waterbender, know it."

A splash of red burned at Katara's cheeks. "But, but, how do—? I don't—"

"What are you afraid of? Did you not face an entire army to save him once?"

Katara sighed. She had so much to do. And she knew exactly how to start, as much as it pained her to do so. She would have to catch Aang before he left the Fire Nation for Omashu next week, meaning cutting her visit with her grandmother short. She sighed again. "Sokka, are you coming with me?"

"I would never abandon you," he affirmed with a smirk. "Plus, I have to see Suki sometimes."

"Just remember to visit often. And don't forget to bring me your children. I want to see them all," Kana warned. Katara's blush intensified and Sokka nearly choked on his sea prunes.

The next night, after greetings to old friends and an uncomfortable chat with Hakoda, the siblings boarded the ship. As it prepared to leave, Kana waved at the smiling girl and boy on the ship. She laughed at their shouts of love and promises to bring the others to them soon. When she started thinking about when Pakku would return, her son startled her out of her thoughts. "I wish they didn't have to go," he whispered from her right, fighting valiantly against tears.

"You were always going to have to let them go," she replied. To that, he sighed, forlorn gaze renewed, and continued waving at the ship until it was a mere speck on the horizon.

They would be reunited again, Hakoda promised himself.

--

A few days later, a certain waterbender surprised a certain airbender with kisses, tears, and apologies tumbling from her lips not fast enough.

_Lesson learned: A home is not built out of stone (or ice), but out of love._

**A/N: Uh, I certainly did not forget about Sokka's leg in the first prompt, and I certainly did not **_**just**_** remember it today. Heh, heh. *sweat drop* …You see? It's mistakes like these that keep me from having nice things. Grr.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Secrets: Telephone

**Prompt Four (August 22, 2009): Secrets**

**Telephone**

A small gray-eyed girl ran up to her best-friend-of-the-day and whispered something into her ear. They both giggled and ran off to spread the news.

"I wonder what they're being so mysterious about," speculated Katara. She was reclining against her husband on Ember Island, watching her children race about the beach with the rest of Team Avatar's children. Usually, they would be much more fascinated with the tide or sand castles, but they were all up to something. A pair of kids paired up and whispered back and forth audibly for a few minutes. As soon as they had conducted their private meeting, they looked up at the two adults relaxing on the wooden porch, snickered, and sprinted away. "Now what was that about?"

"Eh, you know kids. They're probably talking about seeing us kiss, or something," Aang dismissed lightly. He was content with letting them roam around the seaside and just being in Katara's presence. This was the most relaxed he had been for the past three months. Dealing with his family and a civil war in the Earth Kingdom was very taxing on them all. And he was glad to be able to spend a week off with his best friends, kids, and beloved wife.

Sokka, Zuko, Mai, and Suki had gone down to the market earlier that morning to glance around at different shops. Aang had volunteered to stay behind with the excuse of 'not feeling up to wandering around,' and Katara stayed behind to keep him company, not to mention keeping a careful eye on the little mischievous kids. The only regrettable thing about this week was that Toph and her new family couldn't come. It depressed them all – it just wasn't the same without the earthbender. Although it was arguably much more peaceful. But Katara stilled longed to see her friend and her new baby.

"Auntie 'Tara 'n' Uncah Aang? Can we go inside to draw?" asked Sokka's three-year-old daughter, partnered by Zuko's son. They donned their cutest face. Katara would have been much more suspicious had Aang not reassured her that he would accompany them inside.

"You just relax out here. I'll make sure they won't burn down the house," he told her. After they disappeared inside, Katara leaned against the outside wall of the renovated royal beach house, observing the remaining three gathering into a group. They were apparently discussing something important. Normally, Katara would have gone over to see what the fuss was about, but she instead satisfied herself with feeling the cool oceanic breeze. She recalled how years ago they had sought refuge here in the Fire Lord's house. The mansion had long been torn down and rebuilt to accommodate Team Avatar's vacations here, but this retreat had been the first one in years. The group really didn't come together as much as they should, she mused. It was a great birthday gift, however.

Katara very honestly couldn't believe that she was here, in the Fire Nation, celebrating her twenty-fifth birthday. At one point in her life, she thought she would never leave the South Pole. At another, she thought she wouldn't even make it to that age. Fate was hilarious.

She didn't need to do anything special for her day, just being here with her friends, no, her _family,_ was enough. Katara smiled as the group of children finally split up and went to go participate in normal beach activities. Eventually, the ocean, giggle of children, and birds lulled her to sleep. Maybe it was irresponsible, but little did she know, Aang had been peeking out of a window frequently.

Her falling asleep was the perfect edge they needed for their plot. Aang silently motioned to the kids.

They all ran inside as quietly as possible, just barely containing their excitement. Being sneaky was a fun change of pace.

--

Katara woke up to a heartbreakingly beautiful sunset. The sun set the sky on fire in ways she had never seen before. She almost thought she was still dreaming as the waves of purple light danced across the beams of gold and red. The ocean had a greenish hue that somehow pulled the myriad of colors together.

She nearly cried at the sight.

"Beautiful, huh?" he asked, startling her. "The Fire Nation has the best sunsets."

Placing a hand over her heart to calm her heart rate, she sat up. "Oh, you scared me," she replied, stretching her neck. "Was I really asleep that long? What happened to the kids?"

"They're fine. When I noticed you were resting, I called them inside. The others have returned, by the way,"

The waterbender sighed and nodded. That nap felt like one of the best naps she ever had. "Want to go for a walk? I feel like we should spend your birthday doing something other than sleep and make sure the little ones don't turn the beach upside down," Aang continued, smirking.

"I thought you didn't feel up to wandering around today?"

"But you should do something other than sit in one spot all day."

"Eh, I'm fine where I am."

"I insist."

Katara sighed heavily. From the look on Aang's face, she knew he wouldn't give up so easily. And she _did_ need to stretch out her legs. "Okay, okay. Don't get your robes in a knot," she mocked, stabbing a finger at Aang chest. He smiled and thanked her.

--

After calling to the others that they would be going on a short walk, the couple departed. Mostly, their walk was in silence. They just enjoyed being around each other. The sand sifted between their toes as they walked along the beach, feeling the tide every once in a while. The twinkling stars gave the night the perfect beauty to rival the sunset. Not long before, the last edges of the sun disappeared, cloaking their world in an endless sea of black and purple. Aang looked out to the ocean. Its soft, peaceful ripples completed their view. It was the perfect way to end the day.

They desperately wanted to take the scene with them and frame it.

"You know, I heard Toph's voice in my dreams," Katara started, coaxing a bit of conversation out of the quiet air. They paused their walk and retreated to a cliff to just lean against each other thoughtfully. The two were thankful for the small breeze that freed them of the hot, humid air.

Aang laughed. "I see her in my nightmares too," he teased. They both snickered at his retort. "I miss her," he told her sometime later.

"I do too," she sighed. She hadn't seen Toph in two years. Katara thought back to the year they all met. It almost felt like an eternity ago. "Come on, let's go back. I'd like to spend the rest of my birthday with my friends." Aang silently agreed and stood up. He bent down slightly to help her up, and they walked calmly back to the house.

When they reached the mansion, Aang knocked on the front door. "Why are you knocking?" Katara was confused. Couldn't they just use the key they had?

"I'm seeing if anyone is awake," he answered distractedly. When he heard a harried whisper, he knew they weren't ready yet.

"Well I guess we can ju—" Aang suddenly pulled her into a long, deep kiss. This kiss felt different. Maybe it was the fact that they were much more practiced or no one was interrupting them this time. Or maybe it was the edge of desperation on Aang's side. She would have questioned this, but all her thoughts began to evaporate. Somehow, her arms wrapped themselves around his neck and pulled his head down further. After a few minutes, they broke apart with equally besotted smiles.

Katara was so infatuated with her husband at the moment that she barely noticed when he knocked a second time. She barely noticed someone whispering 'ready'. And she barely noticed when Aang pulled her into the darkened den of the house.

Though, she certainly noticed when they scared the living daylights out of her. Katara nearly fainted when they shouted "Happy birthday!!" Flames leapt from hands to candles. The new light revealed several handmade decorations as every child ran straight to Katara. Love-struck smile gone, she leaned against Aang, trying to bring her heart rate back under control.

"Wow. Wow!" she shouted as she gained enthusiasm, giving each child a meaningful hug. "This is so sweet! You guys didn't have to throw a party for me!"

"We know. It's a welcome home party for _me_."

Katara's head snapped up at the familiar voice. Balancing a small baby on her hip, the woman moved from behind the group of adults. "Oh my, Toph! It's been forever!" Katara ran over to one of her best friends and embraced her like she never had before. It had been so long… Katara was speechless. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"Careful, you're scaring him," Toph warned. A serene smile graced the younger girl's face as they continued to catch themselves up with each other's lives.

"Hey, Katara!" Suki called. At seven months of pregnancy, Suki was huge. It was a miracle she could even make it to Ember Island. "The kids have a special presentation for you!"

The little children gathered around, two with an enormous banner, and sang the birthday song. It was unbearably cute, and Katara almost cried at the sight. _Crying_, she thought, _I'm doing a lot of that today_. She stepped back and admired the banner. It said "Happy birthday Auntie 'Tara / Mom," surrounded by little pictures of Katara. So _that_ was what the little tricksters were up to all day. She fervently thanked them with another hug.

Soon, all of the adults joined the cuddle, and they stayed like that for a few minutes.

It was one of the best birthdays she had ever had.

--

"Did you enjoy the little party?" Aang asked quietly. Their children were long asleep on the other side of the room. They looked incredibly blissful on their little mats. He pulled his own mat up next to Katara's and laid down.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything." Before he could reply, she brought his lips to hers in a chaste kiss. "I love you." And they snuggled in together and fell asleep to the two kids' cadenced breathing.

_Lesson learned: Expect the unexpected when it comes to children being sneaky._

**A/N: I feel fluffy. Like cotton candy. Bleh.**


	5. Passion: Perfectly Imperfect

**Prompt Five (August 23, 2009): Passion**

**Perfectly Imperfect by Definition**

"Why are you two still together? There's no passion at all," men would say.

"How can you stand it? She mothers you like a child!" women would exclaim. "No fire at all!"

And his answer is always the same: passion isn't synonymous with intimacy. Sure, they had their fights, even a close break-up or two. Sure, her mothering nature sometimes annoys him. It's almost as if she assumes he can't take care of himself!

Yet, both of them know that what they have would last much longer than most couples. While every other husband would complain, eyes sad and empty, with drinks hanging limply in their hands, he'd sit in silence, empathizing, and trying not to smile in triumph on the inside. Once the fire burned out and the sparks sizzled and the steam gone away, they would—

Wait, no. That's wrong. He would _never_ compare them to fire. To sparks. To steam.

Aang could compare their love to the clouds. He and Katara are always shifting and changing. They never stayed the same, adapting with each new mold each new experience brought. He could compare their relationship to the ocean. Gentle one day, violent the next. A constant force, one that begs to be reckoned with. A force that swallows its challengers and spits them back out thousands of miles away from their home, weary and utterly defeated, but gives life those respectful few. A force that is feared and loved at the same time. He could say they were like a forest. Bringing life, no matter what disaster befalls it. Or a desert, supporting creatures despite its desolate appearance.

But he would never compare fire to them. Never. Fire rages, out of control half the time. Sure, it gives warmth for _maybe_ a few minutes. For an obvious price. After greedily consuming, fire would die, leaving cold impotent ashes that are to never burn again. Sparks blow away in the breeze, unable to fend for themselves. Steam cools and disappears shamefully... how utterly ridiculous. No, they were much more than just fire.

Passion isn't synonymous with intimacy. Passion comes in many forms. Intimacy just comes and goes. Intimacy is a fire that could die without something worthwhile to consume.

The technical definition of passion is a strong feeling or emotion. It can include sexual desire, but it includes so much more.

A mother can be passionate about raising her son. A ruler can be passionate about protecting his kingdom. A saber tooth mooselion can be passionate about keeping its food. A man can be passionate about keeping his friend from wandering down a dark path.

Katara is passionate about caring for him because that's how she loves. She wants him to always remember that she's always watching out for him, no matter how much it may irritate him. Aang knows, respects, and loves her for it. They don't need fire, sparks, or steam. They are much deeper than that. They are much more than a quick thrill. They don't need to prove anything to anyone.

He doesn't mind when people hold a magnifying glass to their love. They can speculate and examine all they want. He doesn't mind criticism. Aang knows what he wants and Katara knows what she wants. They _are_ the clouds, the ocean, the forest, and the desert.

Their love is perfectly imperfect, fitting in to their very perfect and unusal definition of passion.

And, Aang thinks as he kisses the bare shoulder of his wife, listening to her low hums of approval, they do have _that_ kind of passion as well.

**A/N: Woo! Some sort of drabble-ish looking thing! …Yeah, sorry this is late. Wow. I've been working on the final piece and a little busy. *glares at the educational system***

**Dun worry, I shall finish this soon.**


	6. Spirit: Stressed Out

**Prompt Six (August 24, 2009): Spirit**

**Stressed Out**

Sometimes, Aang hated being a parent. Well, actually, not really – he loved every second of it. However, there were times when he wished his children had hobbies that didn't include bothering their father. Especially when he had work to do.

Being a dad was never meant to be easy, apparently.

It was a cool spring day at the Southern Air Temple, so Aang decided to meditate outside to relax his mind. He had long mastered crossing into the spirit world, but concentration was key, and he needed to cross over to speak with a few spirits. So Aang closed his eyes and sat on the low roof of a secluded building at the temple. Inhaling the breeze that lifted his robes a bit and pressing his knuckles together, he focused on separating his mind from the physical world. Aang was almost there until he noticed a little girl noisily giggling behind him.

Without opening his eyes, he knew exactly who was behind him.

Didn't he tell the kids not to distract him?

"What are you doing up here? It's very dangerous to be up this high when you haven't exactly mastered catching yourself yet." He tried to keep his voice as gentle as possible, yet his nerves were slightly frayed at being disobeyed so openly. "And what did I tell you about interrupting my mediation?" The sternness in his voice indicated that he was not in the mood to play games.

"S-sorry Dad," Abi gulped. "I just wanted to see what would happen but then I got bored and so I started to think of funny stuff and I— " Aang cut off her rambling. He tried not to marvel at how much she sounded like him when he jammed himself into similarly sticky situations.

"It's okay, just please go play with the other kids or go help your mother with the your little brother and sister," he told her, finally turning to face the blue-eyed girl.

She didn't move. "I want to stay with you. I'll be quiet."

"Abi…"

"Please?" She was stubborn. A trait he decided to attribute to her mother.

He sighed. Aang did not really want to argue with his daughter and it could make great meditation practice for her, so he conceded. "Okay, but you're going to meditate with me."

The girl sat next to him, copying his position. Ten minutes later, she began to fidget.

Aang should have known having Abi meditate while he was trying to cross over wouldn't be as easy as it sounded. She wasn't very disciplined, always filled with energy, always prepared to get into some sort of trouble. His meditating lessons never went well. No matter what technique he tried. Even though she had been improving, she was still a mischievous seven-year-old ready to grab the world by its horns.

Plus, her very presence was agitating him without her even moving a muscle.

Maybe the unwarranted paranoia developed from years of parenting. He had learned that his children tended to _always _be up to something, even if they didn't know it themselves. Not to mention Abi's very nature was certainly not putting his mind at ease.

Aang tried not to fidget himself. He retried to empty his mind by staring at a nearby tree, so he can achieve the blank state that allowed him to cross over. A few spirits were causing problems in their realm, and he needed to go sort it out. There weren't any life-threatening issues, spirits mainly stayed away from disrupting balance, but it was important all the same. Aang had set out earlier that morning with a job to do and he wasn't going to quit now.

His backside was starting to hurt from the uncomfortable shingles. _Concentrate, Aang_, he thought. _Concentrate. _And he refilled his lungs with the refreshing oxygen and tried to ignore his daughter's humming.

"You're not doing a great job not distracting me," Aang notified Abi after a while. The humming was beginning to rise in pitch and volume. It was a little more than irritating. "It's important that you remain completely silent so I can go to the Spirit World," he added, warning clear in his tone. She apologized and tried to keep silent.

Two more hours later, he was very close to visiting the other world. His limbs felt lighter and he felt his very essence fade from his body. Aang knew without looking that his arrows were beginning to glow white. Finally, he was almost there.

However, curiosity decided it wasn't going to be defeated so easily. After pondering his statement for a long time, she couldn't resist asking, "What's in the Spirit World?"

With his concentration wholly shattered, Aang would have to start completely over. "Toucan-Puffin," he addressed her, attempting to endear her by using his cute nickname for her, "do you mind checking in on your mother for me? I imagine she's having trouble cooking and looking after the babies at the same time."

"But I want to be here with you!" Aang was touched by her protests, but he knew better than to make the same mistake twice in one day. He would have to send her away.

"I'll tell you more about the Spirit World later, but I have work to do now. Please do as I say." As soon as the words left his mouth, he heard the cry that startled them both.

"DAD!!" Abi's two eldest siblings ran into view before they could properly respond to the cry for help. "He's being mean to me!" his eldest daughter shouted upon seeing him atop the roof. She pointed wildly at her older brother. The two looked very clearly disheveled, and one was covered in… mud…

"Well, you pushed me first!" the accused yelled back, glaring a fierce storm at her.

"Did not!!"

"I have the scab to prove it!"

"Liar!"

"You're the liar, stupid!" Aang's hands went automatically to his temples. It had been a long day.

"Both of you stop it. Now." Years of discipline and attending peace meetings taught him that screaming in stressful situations never helped anybody. So, keeping his tone even, he projected his deep voice over the argument.

"Yeah, we're trying to go to the Spirit World!" Abi boasted obnoxiously.

The young airbender opened an entire can of worms and dumped them on Aang's head. The long day just became longer.

Trying to tune out the pleas to come along, the accusations of favoring Abi, and other random arguments, he rubbed his temples a little more vigorously than he should have. Aang was pretty sure he'd have a bruise the next morning. Just in time, Momo swooped in and fastened himself to Aang's shoulder, chattering into his ear the whole while.

Oh come _on_. Was it too hard to ask for a little alone time? Did Sokka's universe out of the blue decide to target him now?

Very nearly reaching his breaking point, he commanded all of them to go back to their home and sit in their rooms for the rest of the night. He also told them that they would face a very severe punishment if he found that they had disobeyed his orders. His authority left absolutely no room for disagreement, and the three kids and lemur scampered off to avoid any more of his wrath.

Aang sighed again and fell heavily against to old work shed. It was safe to say that his nerves were not only frayed, but were also chopped up into very small pieces and fed to the birds.

Once _again_, he sat up and tried to complete the mission he had set out to do.

Thirty minutes later, Katara found him. Noticing the lack of glow in his tattoos, she called out his name.

"What is it now?! Why does it feel like you guys are trying to figure out different ways to keep me from the Spirit World?!" he suddenly exploded. He couldn't help himself, the words were pouring out of his mouth faster than he could think. Aang's body tensed and twitched a little. "First it was the giggling, then the humming, then the questions! And of course, arguing! And of course Momo couldn't be left out of the fun! What could it possibly be this time? I _thought_ this building was _secluded_! Spirits, how can I keep balance in the world if I can't even balance my own children?!"

"Uh, sorry," she mumbled, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice and face. She knew the kids had driven him crazy all day, but his tone was harsh.

Aang, realizing his error, backpedaled. "Oh, I'm sorry Katara," he softened his tone. His head flopped into his hands futilely. "I'm not going to the Spirit World today. I'm too agitated to clear my mind. What a waste of a day." He sighed for what felt like the millionth time.

"I figured as much. A little birdie told me you were a little upset. I've never seen our kids so quiet," she laughed softly. "It's quite the change." She pathetically tried to climb on the roof to keep him company. He suppressed a chuckle at her attempts and offered Katara a hand. "Here, let me help relax you." After she had maneuvered herself carefully behind him, she sat down and began to massage his back. They were rarely able to spend quality time together, and her help was much appreciated. "You know," she continued, "watching after a one-month-old and a three-year-old while trying to make sure the house doesn't get burned down is a tough job too." At that, they both shared a small snicker.

Katara was working wonders on his back. The knots from his earlier stress started to slip away in a warm haze. He fervently thanked every time she hit a particularly great spot as they shared their hilariously bad exploits from that day. They both respected the air that was completely void of arguing and crying. Katara had hit the mark: it very much was quite the change.

Long after sunset, the couple realized they had wasted a few more hours than they should have. They decided to walk back home, hand in hand, to face their family again.

The spirits could just wait one more day, anyway.

_Lesson learned: Stressful days don't have to be _so_ bad when you have someone to share them with._

**A/N: According to babynology, Abi means 'bird' in Chinese. See if you can spot references to that.**

**Thanks for reading!**


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